Santos Under Arrest - The Leader Told You So

By Mark Demetropoulos

Fraudster US Congressman George Santos (NY-3) was arrested on a 13-count federal Indictment Wednesday. Santos surrendered at the US Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, and was released on $500,000 bail. Santos had to surrender his US and Brazil passports - although if he escapes to Brazil, he can not be extradited back, as per Brazilian law.

The Indictment covers only a small part of the multiple criminal offenses involving Santos, but as one local Republican commented, "It's a start..."

The North Shore Leader was the first newspaper - in October, 2022 - to call Santos a "Fraudster" and a "Fabulist," and list the criminal offenses that Santos committed - some of which with Santos is now charged.

The New York Times followed-up on the Leader's expose, and published its own expose on December 19, 2022, detailing even more Santos frauds.

The 13 count Indictment relates to three criminal enterprises: 1) Santos opened a fake "PAC," never registered it, took-in over $50K, and then stole the money for his own personal use - for rent, car payments and "designer clothes;" 2) Santos fraudulently took some $25K in NYS unemployment insurance benefits, while he was actually employed; and 3) Santos filed a perjured Personal Financial Disclosure with the US House on September 6, 2022, that fraudulently claimed his net worth at $11 million, when he actually had net worth of barely above zero ($0.00).

Notably missing from the federal Indictment are any charges relating to the hundreds of fraudulent "receipts" and "expenses" that permeate Santos' Federal Elections Commission ("FEC") campaign filings. This newspaper - The North Shore Leader - detailed how Santos claimed he "loaned" his campaign $580K in March, 2022 - but has just amended his FEC filings to make that fake "loan" disappear.

Also missing were any charges relating to the Go Fund Me charity fraud - stealing $3,500 from disabled US Navy veteran Richard Osthoff - raised to pay for emergency surgery for his service dog "Sapphire." The surgery was canceled after Santos stole the money - and Sapphire died, leaving Osthoff devastated.

Missing too were criminal charges relating to the Credit Card / ATM skimming and theft ring Santos ran, or charges relating to Santos' fake "investment fund" Harbor City Capital, that was shut-down by the SEC and the US Department of Justice in 2021 as a "Ponzi Scheme."

“He needs to go away," stated US Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Huntington) from the neighboring 1st district, who has called upon the US House to expel Santos. "I want to concentrate on important things like the border, China and debt. He is a complete embarrassment."